


Vent fic

by HardiganCaptain



Category: Bronson (2008)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-30
Updated: 2013-06-30
Packaged: 2017-12-16 16:22:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/864076
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HardiganCaptain/pseuds/HardiganCaptain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I had a bad day and couldn't sleep so this happened.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Vent fic

It wasn't that she didn't like to go out, she loved the thrill of being outrageous, of being center stage with the admiration and derision of her peers. Loved it. But it was getting out the door that she had a problem with, her agoraphobia leaving her palms damp and her breath short as she slowly dressed in their bedroom. She jumped when she felt hands slide over her hips, leaning back against the solid bulk of him when he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"You almost ready, you're takin' an awful long time, pet."

"I am ready!" Snorting, she slid her hands along his arms, concentrating on the rough texture of the hair, instead of the way she could taste her pulse in her throat.

He didn't say anything as he lightly tugged her jeans higher on her hips, buttoning them with a flick of his thumb. Pressing a kiss to the side of her neck, he tugged her shirt down over them and hugged her tightly.

"That bad?"

"No! I'm fine." Twisting in his arms, she shoved at him lightly, her lips curling into a cocky smirk. "Does this look bad to you?"

There was a slight quiver to her smile, her fingers curling in his shirt a bit desperate but he ignored it if that's what she wanted.

"Nah, you look lovely."

"You sure?"

Rolling his eyes, he kissed the tip of her nose before stepping back.

"Yes I'm sure, can we go? I'm thirsty."

Her steps hesitated only a moment when going near the open door before all but darting to the truck and slamming the prong into the jack to fill the vehicle with music. Charlie winced at the volume, flicking his eyes towards her before staring out the windshield and trying to block it out.

"Sorry, sorry." Reaching to turn down the stereo she smiled, throwing the truck into reverse to back out of the driveway.

It only took her five minutes to get rid of the crawling on her skin, another ten to strike up a conversation with the person next to her at the bar, her hand constantly skimming over Charlie as she used him as an anchor to avoid the panic that tried to choke her.

"If you think about it, like really think about it, running is the worst thing a person can do to themselves. It's bad for the knees, ankles, feet. You are literally just jarring the joints repeatedly and for what?"

He took in a deep breath and held it, letting it out slowly through his nose as he refused to look at her conversational companion's face, he already knew the look of confusion and tentative offense that would be on it.

"Besides if you really want a work out just have sex, y'know? I mean if you do it right, not that lazy shite, you burn calories like nobody's business."

"How many have you had?" there was a hint of discomfort and awe in the voice and Charlie snorted softly.

"How many what?"

"Drinks, how many drinks have you had?"

"I haven't."

Snorting, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her away from her now unwilling conversation partner and towards the jukebox tucked into the corner.

"What'd I say?"

"Nothing, pet."

Her brow furrowed in confusion as she played with the back of his shirt, rolling the fabric between her fingers as she stared down at the play list. Watching as her finger hovered over several different choices he finally tapped her hand to help her select one, laughing when she smacked his arm in retribution.

"I wasn't sure that's the one I wanted!"

"Too late now, innit? Now go get a drink and leave that bloke alone."

Giving him a scathing look, she turned on her heel to head back to the bar to order herself a drink. He already knew that she was probably going to offend several people before the night was over, that at some point he was going to have to wade through a throng of people to pull her out of trouble she didn't even realize she was getting herself into, and he couldn't help wondering how he got into these situations over and over again when he swore that he'd not let them happen.

He didn't even have a chance to reach her at the bar when trouble started brewing. Some guy beside her had said something funny and she was giving back. For anyone else it wouldn't have been a problem, but she had a way of moving, of looking at a person, that made it seem like she was planning on seducing them. He felt jealousy start to rear up in his chest and he squashed.

Even though he knew better, knew that she wasn't doing it on purpose, that it was just her being herself, he couldn't always stop himself from getting annoyed. It didn't seem to matter if the person was male or female, tall, short, fat, thin, her lips always curled just so, her eyes always went half lidded like a promise of things best kept behind closed doors. Muttering to himself, he shoved through the crowd just in time to see the man's girl say something that pissed her off.

Whatever she said in response was lost in the murmur of the crowd and that worried him. She was loud, always, didn't seem to have a different volume as she unconsciously demanded the attention of everyone in the room, unless she was angry. Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he fought the sigh hovering in his throat when she didn't relax against him, knew that it meant trouble.

"You get your drink, pet?"

"Mm."

"Want to-"

"No."

Her gaze never left the woman though her arm slipped around his waist, fingers toying with one of his belt loops. The growl she let out was felt more than heard, his hand cupping her shoulder and squeezing until she looked up at him, her normally cheery brown eyes black.

"What?"

"Let's go play a game, yeah? You might even beat me this time."

Before she had a chance to reply the jukebox cut off abruptly and someone began announcing karaoke over the speakers. Lighting up instantly, she slipped past them to find the table, the possible fight seemingly forgotten. The smile that started to curl his lips stalled, his eyes rolling upwards in a bid for patience as he recognized the song that started and knew without a doubt that she was going to continue harassing the poor girl until it came to blows.

"Ask any of the chickees in my pen. They'll tell you I'm the biggest mother," he could see the smile on her face, the slow wink the person nearest to her got as she paused. "Hen. I love them all and all of them love me... Because the system works, the system called-"

Rolling up his sleeves, he smiled at the confused looks sent his way, his shoulders shifting as he loosened them. Nobody else in the bar knew what was coming but he did. She'd slink through the crowd like a cat, rubbing along by standers, sliding down the front of them only to move onto someone else, ignoring the hands that slid over her. He hated watching and hated that he couldn't not watch her as she threw herself into a performance.

"So I deserve a lot of tat, for what I've got to give."

His teeth clenched as he watched her trail her fingers along a man's chest as she passed him, her eyes hot on his girlfriend before winking at her. The woman had no morals, none, and he knew when she felt his glare between her shoulder blades because her hand lifted to wiggle her fingers in his direction. She didn't stop at random, she chose who she was going to toy with as she walked to the mike stand, gauged the distance between each one and then walked through the bar like sex personified just for the fun of it.

The man was still trying to calm down his irate girlfriend, his voice low but earnest as he tried to defend himself, and Charlie could already see what his wife was planning. Her eyes slid towards him, the irises still black as pitch as she slinked through the crowd towards him and the couple who hadn't taken any notice of her antics. It was already too late to stop her, he knew that, and he sighed when she pressed against the man who blinked at her in surprise.

"You put in for Mama," her hand slid down his chest, dangerously close to palming him through his slacks before turning to lean back against him, her hips gyrating against him slowly. "She'll put out for you."

And then she was gone, moving through the crowd like smoke and leaving him to deal with the slack jawed expression of the man she just rubbed against. His shoulders lifted in a shrug, his hand moving to grab his beer from the counter to slam it down quickly. There wouldn't be time to finish it later if the girlfriend's beet red complexion was anything to go by, or the way her boyfriend's grip wasn't tight enough to hold her back before she went charging through the crowd.

"Mama's good," her lips were curled in a crooked grin, slowly tilting back as she slowly swayed her hips, "To you."

He had to give her the fact she could hold a note, the music playing as the words faded from the screen with her voice still strong. It was almost easy to count down to the fight that was about to take place, his broad body easily forging a path through the cheering clientele. He'd have been proud if he didn't know she'd chosen that song on purpose, just to drive the poor girl mad with jealousy.

The first punch caught her on the hip as she was handing the microphone back to the KJ, throwing her off balance and she stumbled into a table before regaining her footing. He couldn't hear what the girl was screaming at her, but he could hear the laughter that came in response. The loud, throaty laughter carried through the bar even as she grabbed the girl's necklace and twisted it to choke her. Friends tried to come to her rescue, some men as well, and he easily laid the men out before shoving the girl's back and staring them down.

"I don't want yours, I have my own, you stupid cow! Why would I want that paper pushing, neck tie wearing, 9 to 5er, when I have someone so much better."

Chills ran up his spine at the chill in her tone, hearing the unmistakable sound of a slap from behind him, and the sudden stillness that it brought. Turning, he watched as she stared at the girl, her cheek red with the imprint of the hand that had done the damage, a trickle of blood trailing down to drip off her jaw. Her lips curled back in a silent snarl as she took the girl to the floor twisting the necklace tighter, slamming her fist into the rage contorted face beneath her.

Cursing under his breath, he tried to pull her off of the girl, grabbing her forearm to stop it midswing. Her elbow caught him in the throat, the arm flying backwards in an attempt to free itself before forcing forward.

"You fuckin' cunt! Stop that."

When she didn't even so much as look at him, he groaned, wrapping an arm around her ribs to lift her bodily. The girl came with her, her hand clenched so tightly around the necklace the sharp edges made her fist drip crimson as her leg swung to catch the girl in the stomach.

"Break it up! Break it up!"

Flicking his gaze towards the bouncers that were shoving their way through the milling crowd, he lost his grip on her and let out a sharp sound when her elbow caught his hip bone in preparation of another swing. The less serious fights that had broken out around them were easily dispersed, but when they tried to grab her and haul her off her target she back handed one sending him stumbling back. Charlie caught the man's arm as it swung downward, the fist almost touching the back of her head before he was able to throw the man back.

He lost sight of her after that, the bouncers seeing the bulk of him and deciding he was the more dangerous of the two, split up with the majority of them trying to take him down. The sound of her snarling at the bouncers made him grin, he was furious she'd tormented the girl, but that was nothing compared to what he felt know what she would do to the men who tried to dissuade her. Fist slamming into a man's face, he twisted to grab another and throw him towards the crowd. His breath left him in a rush when one of them slammed their shoulder into his stomach. Teeth clenching, he grabbed the back of the man's shirt and stumbled backwards, his feet moving rapidly to keep him upright.

"Oi! You let him alone you son of a bitch! Who the fuck do you think you are?!" Her body slammed into the man's side, knocking him over, following him to the floor to back hand him as her hand gripped his throat. "Don't you fucking touch him, do you understand. Don't you fucking dare!"

His hand tangled in the back of her shirt, yanking her backwards only to almost fall on top of the both of them when someone tackled him from behind. Turning, his arm extended, his elbow caught the man on the jaw, bright pain flaring through his arm even as blood shot out of the man's mouth. He didn't hear what she shouted but it sounded like his name, right before his vision went blurry for a moment, his ears ringing. Blinking slowly, his head snapped backwards, knuckles digging into the soft underside of his jaw.

He could taste blood in his mouth, his tongue aching and a few of his teeth seemed loose as he swung blindly. The soft grunt was all he needed, his body rolling forward, arms wrapping around the dazed man to squeeze until he heard something pop.

"Charlie!"

Looking over his shoulder, he caught the fist meant for the back of his head, the hinge of his jaw screaming in protest as his arms unwillingly loosened. He couldn't get his eyes to focus, a dull roar filling his ears as he almost fell when he stumbled on the unconscious man's body on the floor. The next punch caught him square on the nose, his eyes watering as blood gushed over his lips, the sharp pain radiating out across his cheekbones.

"You fucking cunt!" Lifting his large hands, he slammed them on either side of the man's head, feeling the palms flatten against the curve of his skull. "You wanna fuckin' go?!"

His body stiffened, fire coursing through every muscle before falling to the floor. He couldn't see anything but a blinding white light, and distantly he could hear her screaming obscenities before the light faded to black.

"Are you seriously trying to tell me I can't keep the handcuffs?"

He shook his head, the pounding making him stop quickly. Blinking slowly he stared at the hard plastic inches from his face and tried to place the firm thing he was resting his head on.

"Yes ma'am."

"Well that's a load of shit, isn't it? C'mon Jason, just let me have them. I'll pay for the replacement." The voice was low, playful, and it took him a moment to recognize it over the steady drumming that filled his head.

"I can't do that." He could hear the smile in the man's voice, jealousy filling him as he tried to sit up. "Lieutenant would have my head on the mantel."

"And you'd look absolutely darling." Turning his head he bit down, making her scream in surprise. "Oh! Charlie, you're awake. This is Jason, he's a sweetheart. Well, for the most part, won't let me keep the handcuffs which is a bit rude to be honest."

It took maneuvering but he finally managed to push himself into a sitting position, his eyes locked on the face of the officer through the grill.

"Charlie stop looking at him like that, he might taze you again. You're scaring him, baby."

"He's not scaring me."

The high pitched yelp the man let out when Charlie threw his shoulder against the grill made her laugh, the happy sound filling the cop car as she scooted closer to press against him.

"Charlie, I mean it. My pants are soaked with blood, drool, and beer." Her lips skimmed his jaw, shifting to rest her cheek on his shoulder. "I'm just glad you didn't throw up, I'd beat the daylights out of you."

"Just stay calm, sir. We'll have you downtown in a moment."

"I don't think I've ever been fingerprinted." She murmured, nuzzling his shoulder. "I've always talked myself out of it."

"Think he's good lookin', yeah?"

"Yeah I guess, his forehead's a bit- Charlie, are you jealous?" 

"No!"

"Oh for fuck's sake," grumbling, she shifted lower in the seat, arching her spine as she tugged a line of metal from her belt loose. "Why the fuck would I sleep with anyone else when I've got you? Jesus wept and the apostles sobbed. Charlie stop being ridiculous."

The soft click of the handcuffs coming unlocked went unnoticed in the front seat, but Charlie lifted an eyebrow at her, his lips still twisted in a frown. Her lips brushed over his, eyes half lidded as she grinned, reaching behind him to undo his.

"Jason! I have to pee."

"You're just going to have to hold it."

"Really? I just got attacked by a mad woman, we both got tossed into a brawl we wanted no part of, and I am covered in, in, what ever the hell I'm covered in. For the love of the gods just let me not be covered in urine!"

"Ma'am, I can't just-"

"If I'm going to spend the night in jail, I am not going to be covered in piss. Have a bit of mercy. I'll buy you a six pack for the end of your shift?"

"That's bribery." His lips twitched as he fought a smile, Charlie's eyes narrowing at him wiped it from his face. "I don't think-"

"All I'm asking is to use the bathroom, buy you a six pack, and get on with my night, okay?"

"... You just want to go home. I can't- Did you see what you did in there?"

"No," her shoulders rolled in a shrug. "I was a bit preoccupied after that bouncer slapped me with a waitress' tray."

"Really?"

"Can I have a copy of the surveillance? I don't want it for legal reasons, I swear, just personal ones."

"What do you mean legal?"

"If those bouncers had been doing their job this wouldn't have happened. They could have stopped that madwoman from attacking me but didn't. I didn't even throw the first punch, everything I did was in self defense."

"Like tackling that bouncer and back handing him?" his tone was skeptical, his eyes locked on Charlie when he shifted in his seat.

"He tackled Charlie." 

"Because your boyfriend was tearing the other men apart!"

"Husband." She corrected, with a look of reproach. "He was trying to get to me, to stop me from doing something terrible when I lost my temper. Still self defense."

"Threw a man across the bar and broke the jukebox."

"Do you think a lightweight would be able to put up with my temper?" Smiling, she nudged Charlie with her shoulder. "Takes a big boy to pin me down when my temper's flaring."

"He gave three of them concussions!"

"One of them was going to slam his fist into the back of my head." She pointed out, even as she finally unlocked the handcuffs that restrained Charlie. "And you gotta admit. A man that would start a ruckus like that for his girl, to stand up for her, gotta admire it. Wouldn't you do the same thing?"

"He almost killed-"

"Horrible at knowing his own strength."

"You almost-"

"My cheek is bleeding from where she slapped me, the slap mark is bruising. I think I was entitled to lose my temper when she hit me that hard."

"Yeah, okay, but she had a good reason, you were dancing on her boyfriend." He almost sounded too pleased with himself for coming up with that.

"I danced on quite a few girl's boyfriends, hell, I danced on a couple of guy's girlfriends. No one else decided to take a swing at me." When he remained silent, she smiled at him. "Oh look there's your partner."

"So?"

"So we're all going to discuss this rationally and see where it goes."

An hour later, he was still shaking his head, holding the washcloth full of ice to his aching jaw as she drove them home. He'd been there, the entire time, for the whole conversation, and he still wasn't sure how the hell she'd managed to talk her way out of it. Glancing over at her, he felt a hint of awe fill him before remembering that at least some of her blowing smoke had been flirting. He'd even seen Jason hand her his number.

"Are you still upset, or is your head spinning?"

"You gonna keep that number, pet?"

"What number?" Turning the corner, she flicked her eyes towards him before looking back at the road. 

"Jason's."

"I didn't-"

"Did."

Patting her pockets, she frowned as she squirmed trying to keep her foot on the gas pedal. Once she found it, she held it out for him to take.

"Honestly forgot. Want me to throw it out the window?"

".... Yes."

The sudden influx of cold air filled the cab of the truck, snatching the heat from his skin, but he smiled anyways barely registering the nippy air as the piece of paper fell victim to the airflow. He jumped when she tossed her phone onto his lap, staring down at it confused.

"In case you wanted to go through and make sure I didn't already add it."

"Did you?"

"Well no," she pulled the truck into the driveway and turned off the engine. "But if you'd like to check, go ahead."

"I don't need to-"

"You're going to do it the moment I'm asleep anyways."

Grunting, he tossed the phone back to her and gingerly climbed out of the truck, and into the house, to fall in bed fully clothed.

"That was fun, yeah?"

He shifted slightly, laying the ice pack on his pillow to rest his cheek against as she crawled up the bed to sit beside him. Slipping her hands beneath her shirt, she unclipped her bra and slid it off to toss to the floor, tugging at her shirt until it settled properly.

"Or not." 

Falling onto her back, she slowly twisted about to get her pants off, rolling onto her side to face him.

"How'd you do that?"

"Which part? The getting the pants off without leaving the bed or the bra thing?"

"Talkin' us out of stayin' the night in jail." Fighting back a yawn and failing, he dropped a hand on her hip and tugged until she rolled over to press against him.

"I'm good at blowing smoke, got a silver tongue worth it's weight in gold."

"Mm."

"You're going to fall asleep before you check my phone?"

Burying his face in her hair, he wrapped his arm around her waist with a soft huff.

"I ain't checkin' your phone, just shut it."

"I'm kinda glad you said that because it's in my pants, and those are too far away at the moment." Her hips wriggled as she shifted, her hand sliding over his and moving it to press against her heart, cuddling it. "You can check it in the morning."

"I ain't checkin' your fuckin' phone."

"Alright, Charlie, alright." Stretching, her body arching, she yawned before pressing tighter against him. "You can give it a glance while I'm making coffee in the morning. I promise I'll pretend not to notice you cursing when your thick thumbs accidentally hit things and you have to start all over. Or when you accidentally hit back right when you're where you want to be."

"Sassy cunt."

"Don't know what you're talking about."

"Go to sleep before I beat you." He ignored the laughter, and met her lips with his own when she turned her head for a kiss.

"G'night, Charlie."


End file.
